Chain water-motor.



No. 699,35l. Patented May 6, I902.

G. E. THURSTDN.

CHAIN WATER MOTOR.

(Application flied Mar. 12, 1901. (No Model.)

Illllllllllll h UNrrnD STATES PATENT @FFICE.

GEORGE E. THURSTON, OF COLBY, WASHINGTON.

CHAIN WATER-MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,351, dated May 6, 1902.

Application filed March 12, 1901. Serial No. 50,860. (No model.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known thatI, GEORGE-E. THURsToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Colby, in the county of Kitsap and State of VVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chain Tater-Motors; and'I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in water-motors, and more particularly to those in which wheels support an endless belt carrying buckets or cups.

It consists of certain novel combinations, constructions, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a view in side elevation of a watermotor embodying the features of my inven tion. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of said motor. Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the means for securing thebuckets to the chain; and Fig. at is a similar view of a slight modification, illustrating means for securing the buckets to a plurality of chains.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates any desired form of frame or support for my improved Water-motor, provided with uprights, as 2 2, which uprights form bearings at their u pper end for the axle 3 of the upper sprocket-wheel 4. The lower sprocket 5 may have its axle 6 rigidly mounted in similar bearings near the base of said uprights; but I preferably secure said axle G to a framework or boxing, as 7, about the lower half of sprocket 5, and the said sprocket is held in position by its own weight, guided between uprights 2 2 by means of framework or boxing 7. The said boxing 7 maybe open at top and bottom, if desired, or, if made of sufficient depth, may be closed at the bottom and provided with any suitable outlet, all within the spirit of the invention. An endless belt,

preferably a sprocket-chain, as 8, is provided for passing above the sprocket-wheel & and below wheel 5, the thickness of said chain being preferably as great or greater than the length of the teeth of said sprocket-wheels, whereby buckets or cups, as 9 9, may travel with said chain over said teeth without engaging the same. The buckets 9 are preferably triangular in transverse section and are secured to said chain by bolts or rivets passed through their inner faces, near the upper edge thereof, and secured to lugs, as 10 10, carried by said chain 8. The bottoms of cups or buckets 9 9 are not secured to chain 8 and are formed a little narrower than the rim, thus allowing the lower end of one bucket to project down into the next lower bucket, lapping over the upper inner face thereof, somewhat resembling the lapping of shingles on a roof.

Over the top and one corner of sprocketwheel 4 is provided a casing, as 11, with its under side for a portion of its length curved to adapt it to the curvature of said sprocket. An elongated slot, as 12, is formed in the under side of said casing 11, whereby said sprocket-wheel 4 may have its periphery enter said casing, and by this means the chain 8 will carry buckets 9 into casing 11, with the backs of said buckets contiguous to said slot 12. The casing 11 is of justsufficient diameter to permit the passage of said buckets 9 without friction, and said casing extends for some distance down the vertical travel of said chain 8. This last feature I consider one of the most important of my invention, as it tends to maintain a full bucket until the same has passed danger of spilling the contents by the jar caused by the rapid filling of the buckets while in motion. The casing may be of wood or metal and is held in place by any simple attachment, as 13, secured to the supports for the upper wheel.

The upper end of the casing 11 is prefer ably attached to a dome, as 14, or other suitable source of water-supply, the said upper end being preferably larger than the lower end, said lower end being just large enough to permit the passage of the buckets without friction, whereby a large quantityof Water may enter the mouth of said casing and fill the same without any great amount spilling out at the lower end. i

In a large heavy machine Where a plurality of chains are employed I find it necessary to form hearings in uprights 2 2 for the axle of the lower sprocket-wheel 5; but in the lighter constructions provided with only one chain I prefer to permit said lower sprocket to swing in a framework, as before described.

The power may be taken from the wheels by attachment to either axle or to both, as desired. In case the attachment is to the lower axle said axle must be maintained rigid by findin hearin s in said u ri hts 2 2 or h rigidly securing said framework or carriage 7.

The operation of the machine is simple. \Vater is, brought through the connecting flume or pipe 14 into the mouth of the casing 11 near the top of the upper wheel 4 and at such an angle that it strikes squarely into the first bucketwithin the mouth of the casing. The force immediately pushes this bucket on and brings the next into its position and the casing is soon filled with water. Thus the buckets as they pass over and down on the opposite side are kept filled with water until they pass from the lower end of the casing 11, when they will be uprightand retain their contents. Without this casing the cups would not keep full, as the water would churn out at the first impact or be thrown out by the centrifugal force, as the chain 8 rapidly revolves before the straight descent is commenced. It is best to have the water introduced into the casing 11 to strike the first bucket 9 at an angle and with some head, the best effect being attained by giving the water a fall or force equal to that acquired by a fall the distance of the length of one side of the chain 8. This will-keep the buckets full, as otherwise the rapid movement of the cups or buckets 9 would permit them to pass through the casing and from under the mouth of the fi'ume 14 only partly filled, and so lose the advantage of full power possible. It is found in practice that better results are secured by allowing the stream from fiume 14 to impact on cups or buckets 9 on top of sprocket-wheel 4t and then follow on around and down than by pouring it directly on the upper buckets at the side of the wheel as they start down the incline.

My improved construction is adapted to utilize the full advantage of the law of falling bodies, as the water is held in the buckets on the downward incline until they reach the bottom, where they empty automatically, with no resistance from tail-water, if allowed free exit by large tail-race, and thus as they fall their tendency is to increase in velocity, which increases the falling or pulling force on the chain, and should the intake from the fiume be of still water the buckets would pass faster than they could be filled. The overlapping or shingling of the cups or buckets practically prevents the Water from leaking or escaping through the slot 12 in the under side of the casing, so that none of its power is lost.

The advantage of a continuous belt and longline of filled cups or buckets over an overshot wheel is readily seen, as the weight of water acts directly on the outer edge of the sprocket-wheel, gaining the full advantage of the leverage from the radius of the wheel for the whole weight of water, whereas in the ordinary overshot wheel most of the weight of the waterpulls directly and indirectly down against the axle, none of the pressure being directly on the outer. rim of the wheel.

As illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the buckets may be joined by a double set of links 8 8 instead of bya single set, as shown in Fig. With this construction it will of course be necessaryto employ double sprocketwheels at the top and bottom of the machine. The action of a bucket of this character will be precisely the same as that above described with reference to the buckets joined by a single set of links.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A water-motor comprising a frame, a sprocket-wheel mounted therein, a chain carrying buckets arranged on said sprocket- Wheel, a weighted sprocket-wheel at the bottom of the machine for keeping the chain taut, a guiding frame or boxing pivotally suspended on the axle of the lower sprocketwheel, the said boxing or frame engaging the side standards of the machine so as to hold the parts in proper place, and a housing surrounding the bucket-chain for holding water or other liquids therein, substantially as described.

2. Awater-motor comprisingaframe formed with side standards, a cross-shaft supported at the upper end thereof, a sprocket-wheel carried by the said shaft, a chain passing around the sprocket-wheel and carrying a series of angular-shaped hollow buckets, alower sprocket-wheel resting upon the lower loop of the chain, a casing or boxing suspended upon the lower sprocket-wheel by means of suitable shafting, the said boxing and sprocketwheel serving to maintain the chain in the proper degree of tautness, and means for delivering water to the buckets as they descend, the said means also serving to prevent the water from spilling from the buckets, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. TI-IURSTON.

iVitnesses:

G. WARD KEMP, W. C. J ONES. 

